Spray dispensing container

ABSTRACT

A spray-emitting squeeze bottle which includes a resilient, squeezable container having a hollow neck portion receiving a spray orifice plug and a check valve. A dip tube has its upper end received in an axial bore provided in the spray plug. Channels are provided in the inner wall defining the bore to supply air for the atomization of the bottle contents.

[ 51 July 25,1972

Grussen et al. ....................239/327 X [54] SPRAY DISPENSING CONTAINER [72] Inventor: Paul A. Mal-chant, Kansas City, MO. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [731 Assigm Kansas 607738 9/1960 ...239/327 City,Mo.

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. Mar

[22] Filed: Nov. 18, 1970 [2]] Appl.No.: 90,753

Attorney-Donald L. Johnson, John F. Sieberth, E. Donald Mays and Arthur G. Connolly [52] U.S. [51] Int. CL... [58] Field of A spray-emitting squeeze bottle which includes a resilient, squeezable container having a hollow neck portion receiving a spray orifice plug and a check valve. A dip tube has its upper References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS end received in an axial bore provided in the spray plug. Channels are provided in the inner wall defining the bore to supply 7/ l 970 air for the atomization of the bottle contents.

239/327 X 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 3,519,208 Marchant........................... 2,649,334 8/1953 Schneider 3,176,883 4/1965 Davis, Jr

SPRAY DISPENSING CONTAINER 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a spray-emitting squeeze bottle, and more particularly, to a spray-emitting squeeze bottle for expelling a fine mist of various fluid products from a contamer.

Description of the Prior Art Various spray-emitting squeeze bottle devices have been utilized for spraying various fluids such as deodorants and other materials; however, many of these prior art devices have been unsatisfactory due to the fact that the spray delivered therefrom occurs in large droplets rather than a fine mist. Additionally, prior art squeeze containers, after having been squeezed, tend to remain in a partially collapsed condition for a considerable amount of time. Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,208 discloses a squeeze bottle and spray plug for producing an upwardly directed spray. This spray bottle construction permits fast cycle operation. Applicants present invention is an improvement over the spray device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,208 whereby the spray is directed to the side of the container through a new spray plug of improved design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a spray emitting squeeze bottle adapted to efficiently emit a side directed, fine mist and which does not tend to dispense large droplets of liquid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spray-emitting squeeze bottle which is very simple in construction and very efficient in operation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel spray-emitting squeeze bottle having a minimum number of components of simple construction which may be produced economically.

A further object of the present invention is to provide it spray-emitting squeeze bottle that will produce uniflgrqn atomization of the fluid dispensed from the bottle. Q

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are realized in a spray-emitting squeeze bottle including a resilient, flexible container having squeezable sidewalls. The container has a neck portion providing a generally cylindrical bore extending axially therethrough and a shoulder structure extending radially into the bore. An annular poppet valve member, having a central opening therein, is received in the bore and is normally seated on the shoulder structure. A plug valve member, having a single cylindrical skirt, is sealingly received in the bore with the skirt having its lower end spaced from the poppet valve member when the valve is in its nor mally open position. An integral, transverse top wall is provided on the upper end of the skirt. Air inlet passage means are provided in the skirt and the top wall of the plug. An integral, coaxial, generally cylindrical boss extends upwardly from the plug top wall. The boss has a cylindrical bore extending through the plug top wall. Air outlet passage means are provided in the inner wall defined by the bore in the boss. An atomization recess is provided above the bore and commu nicates with the air outlet passage means. A sidewall of the boss provides a side directed spray opening communicating with the atomization recess. A dip tube has its upper end frictionally received in the bore of the boss and its lower end passing through the central opening in the poppet valve into the lower portion of the container.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an axial, elevational, broken and sectional view of the upper portion of a spray-emitting squeeze bottle constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the spray plug member of the sprayemitting squeeze bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the spray plug member of the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational, sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevational, sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a poppet valve that may be used in the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the poppet valve of FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of the present invention includes a container, designated generally by the numeral 20, which is provided with a continuous, resilient sidewall 21, a top wall 22 and a bottom wall (not shown). The container may have a sidewall of any desired shape, e.g., cylindrical or rectangular. When the sidewall structure 21 is squeezed, air will be compressed in the upper internal portion 23 of the container above an existing liquid level 24. The container 20 is provided with a hollow, cylindrical neck portion 25 having a counterbore 26 terminating in a shoulder 27 on the inner wall of the neck. A spray plug member, designated generally by the numeral 28, is frictionally retained in the counterbored portion of the neck. A poppet valve member 29, having a central opening 290 therein, is received in the counterbore below the spray plug and is supported by shoulder 27. A screw cap 30 covers the spray plug 28 and is retained on neck 25 by a helical thread 31 provided on the neck which is received in helical groove 32 provided on the cap inner wall.

The spray plug member 28 includes a transverse wall section 33; an integral, coaxial, generally cylindrical boss 34 extending upwardly from the wall section; and an integral, coaxial, generally annular skirt 35 depending from the top wall. The wall section of the plug has any annular ledge 36 on its periphery adapted to seat on the top surface of the container neck. An integral annular bead 52 is provided on the upper surface of top wall 33 and makes sealing contact with the underside of cap 30, as seen in FIG. I. The skirt 35.has an annular recess 37 provided in its outer wall adjacent its upper end which receives an inwardly extending annular ring 38 provided on the inner wall of the neck adjacent its upper end to frictionally retain the spray plug in the container neck. The boss 34 is provided with an internal, coaxial, cylindrical bore 39 that terminates at downwardly facing shoulder 43 short of the top wall 40 of the boss. The inner wall 41 of the boss is provided with a pair of opposed, axially aligned grooves 42- 42 that terminate at the bottom of the top wall 40 of the boss. A rectangular atomization recess 44 extends from the shoulder 43 to the bottom of the top wall of the boss and is positioned transverse to and in communication with the upper ends of the grooves 42-42. As seen in FIG. 3, the recess 44 and the upper ends of the grooves 42-42 define four spaced apart protrusions 45 extending downwardly from the top wall of the plug, which protrusions terminate in the interrupted shoulder 43 at the upper end of the bore 39. Spray opening 46 extends from recess 44 through the sidewall of the boss and terminates at the flat section 47 adjacent the upper end of the boss.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the plug member 28 has a pair of opposed air inlet passageways 48-48 which extend from openings in top wall section 33 to the bottom of the plug. These passageways are defined by integral wall sections 49- 49 attached to the underside of transverse wall 33 and to the inner wall of the skirt 35 at their outer edges.

A flexible dip tube 50 has its upper portion received within the bore 39 in the boss. The end of the tube abuts the interrupted shoulder 43 formed by the projections 45 in the top of the boss, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus, the open upper end of the dip tube is in communication with both the upper ends of atomizing air channels 42-42 and the atomization recess 44. The dip tube passes through the opening 29a in the poppet valve 29 with sufficient clearance to provide for good air flow through the annular space between the tube and the beveled edge 51 surrounding the opening 29a. The lower end of the dip tube extends to the bottom (not shown) of the container.

In operation, liquid is dispensed in a fine spray mist from the side spray orifice 46 when the sidewall 21 of the container is compressed. Compression of the air above the surface 24 of the liquid produces a pressure differential across the poppet valve 29 causing it to operate as a check valve and to move into engagement with the bottom of the plug valve to close the air inlet passageways 48-48 thereby preventing air from passing outwardly through these openings. Air is forced to pass through the annular space in the poppet valve 29 surrounding the dip tube into the two opposed channels 42-42 in the sidewall of the boss 34 and upwardly into the atomization recess 44. As the air passes over the top of the dip tube, it atomizes the liquid so that air and fine liquid droplets are forced outwardly through the side spray orifice 46.

When pressure on the container 20 is released, the poppet valve 29 moves back into engagement with the ledge 27 and opens the air inlet passageways 48-48. Air is pulled into the container through the air inlet passageway openings 48-48 by the vacuum created from the return of the sidewall 21 to its normal shape. The container is thus quickly ready fora subsequent cycle of operation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by just interpretation of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spray-emitting squeeze bottle, the combination comprising: a resilient, flexible container having squeezable sidewalls, said container having a neck portion providing a generally cylindrical bore extending axially therethrough and a shoulder structure extending radially into said bore; an annular poppet valve member, having a central opening therein, received in said bore and being normally seated on said shoulder structure; a plug valve member having a single cylindrical skirt sealingly received in said bore, said skirt having its lower end spaced from said poppet valve member when said valve is in its normally open position; an integral, transverse top wall on the upper end of said skirt; means providing at least one air inlet passage in said skirt and top wall; an integral, coaxial, generally cylindrical boss extending upwardly from said plug top wall, said boss having a cylindrical bore extending through said plug top wall; air outlet passage means in the inner wall defined by said bore in said boss; an atomization recess above said bore communicating with said air outlet passage means; a sidewall of said boss providing a side directed spray opening communicating with said atomization recess; and a dip tube having its upper end frictionally received in said bore and its lower end passing through said central opening in said poppet valve into the lower portion of said container.

2. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 1 wherein said means providing an air inlet passage in said skirt and top wall includes at least one opening in said top wall commu nicating with a passage formed by a separate inner wall having its top edge attached to the underside of said plug top wall and its outer, vertically extending edges attached to the inner wall of said skirt, the lower end of said passage being closable by said poppet valve.

3. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 1 wherein said air inlet passage means include a pair of longitudinally extending channels in said inner wall of said boss.

4. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 2 wherein said separate inner wall is integrally formed with said plug top wall and skirt. 3

5. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 2 wherein there are provided a plurality of air inlet passages. 

1. In a spray-emitting squeeze bottle, the combination comprising: a resilient, flexible container having squeezable sidewalls, said container having a neck portion providing a generally cylindrical bore extending axially therethrough and a shoulder structure extending radially into said bore; an annular poppet valve member, having a central opening therein, received in said bore and being normally seated on said shoulder structure; a plug valve member having a single cylindrical skirt sealingly received in said bore, said skirt having its lower end spaced from said poppet valve member when said valve is in its normally open position; an integral, transverse top wall on the upper end of said skirt; means providing at least one air inlet passage in said skirt and top wall; an integral, coaxial, generally cylindrical boss extending upwardly from said plug top wall, said boss having a cylindrical bore extending through said plug top wall; air outlet passage means in the inner wall defined by said bore in said boss; an atomization recess above said bore communicating with said air outlet passage means; a sidewall of said boss providing a side directed spray opening communicating with said atomization recess; and a dip tuBe having its upper end frictionally received in said bore and its lower end passing through said central opening in said poppet valve into the lower portion of said container.
 2. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 1 wherein said means providing an air inlet passage in said skirt and top wall includes at least one opening in said top wall communicating with a passage formed by a separate inner wall having its top edge attached to the underside of said plug top wall and its outer, vertically extending edges attached to the inner wall of said skirt, the lower end of said passage being closable by said poppet valve.
 3. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 1 wherein said air inlet passage means include a pair of longitudinally extending channels in said inner wall of said boss.
 4. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 2 wherein said separate inner wall is integrally formed with said plug top wall and skirt.
 5. In the spray-emitting squeeze bottle of claim 2 wherein there are provided a plurality of air inlet passages. 